Slow Roasted Turmeric Vegetables with a Moghrabieh Pilaf

Summer vacations spent in India at my grandparents’ home in Delhi are forever etched in my memories. Their imposing house, at the end of the street, was nestled next to big open fields and further beyond those fields, small woodlands, that my brother, cousins and I called the “jungle.” Often, as we played out on the fields we would hear the howls of monkeys and the high pitched mewing of peacocks and other animals vibrating through the trees, drifting over the fields, sending us darting back to the house out of breath and petrified.

On the nights when the mist rose from the fields and the silvery moonlight irradiated the trees in the woods, the sinister shadows would sway in a ghost-like dance, we would all bundle up around my grandfather (nana) on the charpai (Indian woven bed) out on the veranda. The scene was perfect for one of his elaborate tales. No one could tell a story quite like nana. Whether they were stories of our Sikh gurus, or narratives about British India and the partition of India and Pakistan or fables he heard from his parents during his childhood, he captivated and bewitched us for hours. The scary stories about haunted houses, terrifying giants and ghosts would have us shivering with fright, we were often hypnotized and as five pairs of eyes widened with horror he would swerve the story in a totally unexpected direction and take our fear from us bringing almost comical relief to our quaking bodies.

Tall, lean and imposing, my nana commanded an imperial aura around him.“ His presence is felt in the room when he walks in!” is what I have often heard being said about him. Strict and stern with his daughters, with his grandchildren there was an abundance of passion and generosity - he still lights up my heart when I see him smile in my memories.

As I entered the teenage years my interest was drawn towards the kitchen. My grandmother’s (nani) kitchen to be precise. Not so much for the cooking and the preparing of the dishes, at that time I was far from interested in actually learning to cook much to my nani’s dismay. But when all my aunts, uncles and cousins got together for the summer the kitchen always became the hub of interesting happenings, exciting news and gossip. Curiously, the kitchen was situated in the very back, almost separated from the rest of the house. One had to cross a small back veranda to get to it. The veranda and the kitchen were surrounded by a tall strong wall that sheltered the entire property. A small inconspicuous wooden door served the purpose of a back entrance. This entrance was the doorway for all daily deliveries from the vendors bringing their wares directly to the homes. Produce was always seasonal and local – nani only bought from local farmers and artisan producers. My nani had a jovial and vivacious disposition, kind and always ready to help people in need. She was determined and stubborn too and when she set her mind on something she usually did not stop till she got it.

As I began to spend more time in and around the kitchen, nani noticed my interest to be a part of the adult gatherings instantly. Cleverly, she included me into the chores of preparing meals with the rest of the family members. We would sit on the back veranda warmed by the sun listening to the chorus of peacocks and parrots sing, while we shelled peas, ground spices in a large stone mortar with a heavy pestle, picking over lentils, rice and beans, kneading dough for rotis and naans or preserving fruit and vegetables for spicy achaars (pickles). Nani would tell us her extravagant stories. Food always played a pivotal role in these stories of moguls, rajputs, maharajas and maharanis. She told me about the Goan traditions, Kashmiri customs, Rajasthani heritage and Bengali culture. She too shared her version of the British rule over India and the partition that caused her and her family to flee her home in Lahore and to settle down in Chandigarh.

During these rich and poignant summers I grew up learning so much about my culture, tradition and religion that coming back home to Kuwait, Doha or where ever we were based at the time, often felt empty and pale in comparison. My nani stubborn as she was always insisted on speaking to all her grandchildren in Hindi knowing that most of us lived outside of the country would never actually learn it, and as clever as she was, she created the first food memories and planted the first seeds of food passion in me by heightening my curiosity and laying out crumbs that eventually led me into the kitchen and towards the path of the hospitality industry and finally brought me to what I’d like to think has been my calling – food styling, food photography and of course developing and creating recipes.

This dish today portrays what my kitchen is often all about. Fusion food: that brings together the flavors, aromas and memories from a life of traveling and growing up with infusions of various cultures and traditions. Primarily Indian and Levantine, my influence in the kitchen is governed by the incredible range of spices, fresh produce and legumes available in both cuisines.

For those who are not familiar with moghrabieh - it is a staple in the Levantine kitchen often also known as giant couscous, pearl couscous or Lebanese couscous. Like couscous it is a form of rolled semolina just a lot larger in size. The word moghrabieh in Arabic translates to “dish from the Maghreb” which mainly are the countries Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria and refers to not only the grain but also the traditional dish moghrabieh, which includes lamb or chicken and chickpeas. Texture-wise it is more like pasta made of semolina and can be bought at good sorted grocery stores or Middle Eastern specialty stores in dried or frozen form.

Slow roasted vegetables coated in a spice mix of turmeric, highlighted with sprinklings of garam masala and cumin seeds served with a moghrabieh pilaf dotted with plump raisins and scatterings of toasted almonds and mint – fusion food for the senses.

Before you dive into the recipe though let me tempt you some more:

Venice Food Photography & Styling Workshop

In case you missed the announcement last week, I released the dates for the first workshop in 2014. I'm collaborating with Jeanne Horak-Druiff again and together we want to take you away with us to the gorgeous prosecco region just outside of Venice. You will find all the details of the Venice Food Photography and Styling Workshop on the announcement page with a preliminary programme and what the workshop includes. We've put together a pretty fantastic schedule. Registrations have been rolling in since we announced and as we are limited to 12 participants the slots are tight. Furthermore, Jeanne and I have been working behind the scenes with the team at the Nino France estate, who will be hosting us, and we are putting together a particularly special surprise for participants of this workshop. Stay tuned for that announcement. Dates for the workshop: 2-3 May 2014 Registrations can be made via the registration form here.

To make the slow roasted vegetables pre-heat the oven to 150C. Place all the vegetables in a large baking tray, drizzle in the olive oil, sprinkle all the spices and add the sliced garlic. With your hands mix and rub the spices until all the vegetables are coated in the mixture. If you like you can wear thin one-way gloves to protect your hands from getting colored with the turmeric. Season and toss lightly. Place in the oven and allow to slow roast for a good 40 minutes. The vegetables should gently caramelize in their own juices but still be crisp. If using the ghee, stir it in about 10 minutes prior to taking the vegetables out of the oven. This gives the vegetables a lovely buttery aroma.

While the vegetables are roasting make the moghrabieh pilaf by heat the oil in a cooking pot. Add the dry moghrabieh and on low heat gently stir them until they are a light golden color. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes.

Pour enough broth so that the moghrabieh is just covered with the liquid. Turn the heat up and bring this to a boil, then turn the heat back down and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally . Keep an eye on the liquid level and add some more if required. The moghrabieh is cooked when it is soft but not mushy.

When most of the water has evaporated add the raisins. Take off the heat cover and let allow to steam in the rest heat for another 10 minutes. Season if required then stir in the toasted almonds and mint leaves.

To make the yogurt mix all the ingredients in a clean glass bowl and stir with a fork until smooth. Serve the moghrabieh topped with the turmeric roasted vegetables and dollops of the minty yogurt.

NotesThe vegetables: As with most of my recipes this is a very versatile dish. You can use any kind of vegetable that are good for roasting. This would work with cauliflower, fennel, tomatoes, broccoli for example. To spice it up a little add a finely chopped red or green chilies. The spices: I used garam masala as a complementary spice to the turmeric mainly because the mix includes all my favorite spices, however you can use them individually too. Just use ground coriander for a more floral flavor or a dash of cinnamon for a sweeter, softer note. I added whole cumin seeds as it adds a slightly bolder piquant flavor to the vegetables. Sprinkle some chili powder into the spice rub for some heat!

Verdict

The simplicity of preparing this dish is unbeatable and it can be prepared on any night of the week. Yet the complexity of the flavors and aromas this dish provides will satisfy to the core. I have made it purely vegetarian here but if you want to up it a notch and make it a non-vegetarian meal, rub a few chicken breasts with the mixture too, pan-fry until browned then place on top of the vegetables allowing to roast in the oven. Or try rubbing tiger prawns with the mixture and sizzling in a hot pan just a few minutes before the vegetables come out. Makes an extravagant dinner for special occasions. I do wish nana and nani could be regular guests to my table - I would have loved to share meals like this with them and create more memorable stories with them. But I hope they are watching from above smiling and enjoying the stories I have to recount to my son.

Connect

My word for 2014 is Connect and I have started consciously doing this in many ways and on many levels. Here on the blog one of the things I 'd like to do is share bits and pieces, finds and interesting things I come across as I surf the web. It might be a quote, a picture a moving post, interesting news and announcements. What ever makes me connect with you. Hope you enjoy this section of my weekly posts and I urge you to share your favorite finds and thoughts in the comments section too.

The food photography and styling challenge has started again and Simone of Simone's Kitchen has picked a fantastic theme for this: RAW Ingredients. I am one of the three judges and am really looking forward to your entries. I hope my images of raw ingredients in this post inspire you. Don't miss it!

Make sure you check out the all new The Foodie Bugle Shop which opened its doors last week. The lovely Silvana de Soissons is the founder of The Foodie Bugle a magnificent online magazine focusing on food, cooking, gourmet travel and so much more. The Foodie Bugle Shop is a paradise for all bloggers, food photographers and stylists. The vintage section is magnificent and I've already ordered several items. Silvana, always so very forthcoming, packed them up snuggly and delivered them within a matter of 2 days. If you are unsure about shipping and shipping prices please do not hesitate to drop Silvana a line. I cannot wait to get shooting with my vintage props.

Have you heard about Keepy? This is for the parents amongst you ... it's such a brilliant app. It allows us to photograph, document, organize, share and save all the art masterpieces, lego creations, paintings, poems, stories and so much more our kids create and make. Organize all this easily and if you want to share with grandparents, uncles, aunts etc. you can invite special loved ones to view and leave video comments on each item. My favorite part is that both Soeren & I can record messages on each masterpiece describing what it is so that when family members view them they have their own personalized video. Check it out!

I adore this kind of dish for a warming and healthy winter meal. I have to find a box of that gorgeous pearl couscous... I love the stories of your childhood which are always fascinating. What a lucky child you were.

That looks, and sounds, wonderful! I have never heard of moghrabieh pilaf, but I love pilaf! Curries, and the wonderful Indian cuisine is what I miss the most at home while living in the states. I really havent found anything I have been impressed with so far. I try to make it at home as much as possible, and you are a reminder it is time to try again! Thanks for the recipe! It looks great :)

Love this post Meeta! Both the story and the photos drew me in and filled me with warmth. Having just come back from India, I feel a throwback of nostalgia to Indian culture through food and every time I am amazed at the vast diversity of food even with a region!

Meeta, your photos are stunning but you know what ~ your words are just as beautiful. I can see and hear the woods and smell the aromas in your nani's kitchen. You know I love my vegetables, so this recipe is right up my alley. Also ~ love your 'connect' theme. This is something I am working on as well. I have a tendency to get lost in my work and my little world here in suburban DC. Thanks for sharing those links. xo

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...